Biodiversity:
Who cares?
Ecosystems
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ECOSYSTEM: All of the living
and nonliving things that interact
in a particular environment.
Ecosystems can be as small as a
meadow or swamp or as large as a
desert or forest.
Species
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Organisms that are so similar that they can
produce offspring that can also produce
offspring.
Ex: humans, dogs or cats are species
Populations
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A group of organisms that are of the same
species that live in a particular area.
Ex: The people who live in Pittsburgh are a
population.
Ex. A population of cacti in the Mohave desert
Communities
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A group of populations that live in a particular
area that interact with one another.
Ex: Cacti, iguanas, and crabs are part of the
Galapagos Island Community
Ex. Gazelles, Lions and grasses are part of the
African Savannah.
Ecosystems
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Within a biome, exists many ecosystems.
This includes all of the living and
nonliving factors.
Biomes
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A biome describes the climate and types of
plants that are found in similar places around
the world
Which do you like better?
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Which do you like better?
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Which do you like better?
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Which do you like better?
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What do you think biodiversity
means?
Biodiversity
What does “Bio” mean?
Bio =
Biodiversity
What does “Diversity” mean?
Diversity = Variety
Biodiversity is the variety of life on
Earth and the essential
interdependence of all living things
• Scientists have identified more than 2 million species. Tens
of millions -- remain unknown
•The tremendous variety of life on Earth is made possible by
complex interactions among all living things including
microscopic species like algae and mites.
There are 3 components of
biodiversity
1.
Diversity of genes
Chihuahuas, beagles, and rottweilers are all dogs—but
they're not the same because their genes are different.
Chihuahua
Beagle
Rottweilers
There are 3 components of
biodiversity
Diversity of species
For example, monkeys, dragonflies, and
meadow beauties are all different species.
Saki Monkey
Golden Skimmer
Meadow Beauty
There are 3 components of
biodiversity
Variety of ecosystems
Prairies, Ponds, and tropical rain forests are all
ecosystems. Each one is different, with its own set of
species living in it.
Paines Prairie
Florida Sand hill Pond
Hoh Rain Forest
Which is more diverse?
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Which is more diverse?
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Which is more diverse?
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Which has more cultural
diversity?
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Which has more biodiversity?
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Which has more biodiversity?
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Biodiversity has Intrinsic Value
Intrinsic Value = Something that has value
in and of itself
Biodiversity also has utilitarian
Value
Utilitarian Value = the value something has as
a means to another’s end.
Utilitarian values include:
• Goods
• Services
• Information
What do we get from
biodiversity?
Oxygen
Food
Clean Water
Medicine
Aesthetics
Ideas
Should we be concerned about
biodiversity?
What we know:
The Earth is losing species at an alarming rate
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Some scientists estimate that as many as 3 species per
hour are going extinct and 20,000 extinctions occur each
year.
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when species of plants and animals go extinct, many
other species are affected.
Threats to biodiversity
Habitat destruction
Pollution
Species Introductions
Global Climate Change
Exploitation